Business Opportunities Weblog

April 18, 2007 by Rich Whittle | 5 Comments

eCommerce-Guide.com:

It’s no secret that shoppers love bargains, and if done the right way, offering discounts can increase conversions and nurture customer loyalty.

In fact, Forrester Research analyst Lisa Bradner’s report “E-Coupons Engage Customers Beyond Discounts” shows that Web shop owners would be wise to ramp up their efforts in this area.

But how exactly do you get started? Scott Kluth wondered the same thing. He decided to help e-tailers make it easier to offer promotions through coupons by creating CouponCabin.com, an aggregator of consumer discount codes. In his three years of doing so, he’s become keenly aware of what works — and what doesn’t — when administering coupons online.

1. Mass Appeal: When creating coupons for the first time, merchants tend to forget that they must create coupons that appeal to a wide audience and are simple to apply.

2. Keep It Simple: A complicated coupon code is another common problem among merchants using coupons for the first time.

3. Don’t Be Too Greedy: Merchants commonly try to create coupons with a minimum-spending requirement that is higher than their average order.

4. Free Shipping Rules: Free shipping coupons are also quite popular with merchants as they consistently perform well.

5. Target First-Timers: Since new customers typically have larger orders than repeat customers, many online merchants now attempt to attract first-time buyers by offering them greater discounts.

For more details and five more tips, go here.

Photo by HP Image Library.

In Ecommerce, Internet, Marketing | 5 Comments